Queen Elizabeth II did Olympic sketch 'in one take'

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II pulled off her acting role in the Olympics opening ceremony "in one take", a BBC official said Saturday. The 86-year-old monarch was shown in a pre-filmed sequence in which actor Daniel Craig, playing fictional British super-spy James Bond, arrived at Buckingham Palace in a taxi to escort the queen by helicopter to the ceremony. The Queen, accompanied by her corgi dogs, greeted Craig with the words: "Good evening Mr Bond." Real helicopters then appeared over the Olympic Stadium during Friday's spectacular and parachutists playing Bond and the sovereign jumped out, just before Queen Elizabeth entered the stadium, wearing the same outfit. It was one of the highlights of the show. Nicholas Brown, the British Broadcasting Corporation's director of drama production, said the sovereign gave a flawless performance. "She got it in one take," The Daily Telegraph newspaper quoted him as saying. "That's what she does, and she does it very well. She is a professional." "It was extraordinary to have the two (Queen Elizabeth and Craig) together with the corgis. "The palace was terrific about the shoot and we were delighted and honoured that the queen was involved."